Meet the People Behind the Work
MARC BLAIN
Founder & CEO of Step One
A Journey of Redemption and Empowerment
Marc Blain's story is one of resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of the human spirit. Born into a world marked by adversity, Marc faced profound challenges from an early age. Struggling with mental health issues and battling addiction, he found himself trapped in a cycle of despair, desperately seeking a way out.
For years, Marc grappled with the darkness within, feeling as though he was drowning in a sea of uncertainty and pain. Yet, amidst the chaos, a glimmer of hope emerged. Through the tumultuous journey of self-discovery, Marc found solace in spirituality, embarking on a path of healing and transformation.
Driven by an unwavering commitment to reclaim his life, Marc immersed himself in the teachings of wisdom traditions and sought guidance from mentors who illuminated his path. With each step forward, he gained new insights and perspectives, gradually breaking free from the shackles of his past.
As Marc's journey unfolded, he realized that true liberation lies not in escaping adversity, but in embracing it as a catalyst for growth and empowerment. Through perseverance, hard work, and the support of a nurturing community, he emerged from the shadows, reborn into a life filled with purpose and possibility.
Inspired by his own journey of redemption, Marc founded Step One, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals to overcome obstacles, unlock their potential, and embark on a journey of self-discovery. With compassion and empathy, Marc guides others along the path he once walked, offering hope, support, and inspiration to all who seek it.
Today, Marc's story stands as a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the transformative power of love, faith, and perseverance. Through his courage and determination, he has not only transformed his own life but has also become a beacon of hope for countless others seeking to find their way in a world filled with challenges.
As Marc continues to inspire and uplift those around him, he remains deeply committed to his mission of spreading light and healing to all who dare to take that courageous first step towards a brighter tomorrow.
Ayla Brecknell
David Wiebe
Ardene Froese
AArtistic Director
Hi I'm Ayla! I strive to be a living example of what true healing and recovery could like after long term drug addiction.
I embrace who I am, what I've been through, and I understand it was all for a greater purpose. I honor, respect, trust and love the woman that I am today.
My chosen experience has allowed me to understand addiction and the suffering that it causes on the deepest of levels.
During recovery I believe that our pain gets turned into personal power as we gain the courage to dive into ourselves. Healing anything that we may find along the way.
Looking back, I began feeling mental dis-ease at a young age. The lack of stability, had me looking for some source of control, and I found self harm to be the fix I was looking for. This is how I coped untill my teens when I was introduced to hard drugs, landing me in way of life for the next 8 Years. Sad, stuck, no genuine connection, and at times complete despair.
Although through all of this I always had a deep knowing that this was not my truth. I would not always be an addict, I wanted the good life for myself, a life that I could fully love and enjoy, a vision for success.
For this to happen, my old self needed to be burned allowing a rebirth of a new me. This was not an easy process to say the least, the greatest pain of my life had to happen for me to be ready to shed the old identity and fully immerse myself in spiritual healing.
Now that I have light in my life, I continue to do my best to let it shine through me. Connections within the community are so cherished, as we are all in this life together, stronger as a whole. The connection to myself and the Source are deeper than ever. This is something that has added tremendous value to my life and I will always be seeking to go deeper in my faith.
It is never to late to turn things around, or change the trajectory of any aspect in our life. It takes courage, openess, and a deep pursuit to allow our hearts to embody the beauty that this life has to offer.
If you find yourself here reading this relating from a place of struggling, seeking change, looking for new community, or maybe you have your own story and want to add value to others by being part of a team.
StepOne could be the answer you've been praying for as it once was in my own life.
At a time of darkness when I felt everything else was failing for me. The people from this community were there for me over and over again. I found support, connection, and recieved the love I needed to begin my healing journey and now I am passionate about helping others do the same.
Graphic Design & Events Coordinator
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Dave Wiebe has a unique background that bridges creative industries and advocacy work. He brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the team.
Before joining Step One, Dave earned recognition in the music industry for his unique approach to creating healing and positive narratives through his art. As a signed artist with Remedy Music, his work was celebrated for its quality and commitment to uplifting messages, securing him the 3rd place as Artist of the Year within the label. Whether in his tour across Western Canada, or with the upcoming release of his debut vinyl record "Eerie Skies," he demonstrates his ability to resonate with diverse audiences through a unique blend of genres, all while championing themes of personal growth, community support, and mental health advocacy.
Born in Bangladesh and raised in Saskatchewan, Dave's journey is characterized by a relentless pursuit of innovation and quality, whether on stage or in his role with Step One. He has spent the entirety of his life in struggle with mental health and has dealt with issues of addiction since his first year after high school. Having gone through stays in rehab and the psych ward he has taken the struggles that most define his past and turned them into huge strengths. He is dedicated to his reformed ways of living without drugs or alchohol and also advocates for innovative approaches to healing and mental health support.
His integration of his reputation in the music scene into mental health and addiction advocacy underscores his dedication to making a significant impact in people’s lives. Dave’s approach to leadership is influenced by his artistic background, emphasizing creativity, empathy, and a comprehensive understanding of community dynamics.
At Step One, Dave applies his extensive experience to further the organization’s mission of providing accessible support and fostering a sense of belonging among those it serves. His commitment to mental health advocacy and his unique ability to connect with individuals from all walks of life make him an invaluable asset to the team and the communities they support. Dave continues to inspire change, drawing from his diverse background to bring forth a world where everyone has access to the support and resources they need to thrive.
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Intern Manager
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have known Ardene for as long as I have been named this way. He is a curious fellow, capable of a heart-shattering bodhi that is both essential and immediately practical. He has an intensely secretive mind; I know this because even in this bio, he is writing about himself in the third person. His opinions are generally offensive, and he is terribly lazy at times, but is that just the way he needs to be in order for Spirit to recharge him? He seeks this constant recharging of Spirit in order to plant blessings and positive transmutations all throughout the world. Ardene is awake enough to know that in order to live, you must be in a life-affirming environment, which essentially includes one's own landscape of body, emotions, psyche, and peripherals outward to all other phenomena of relationships and environment.
Unfortunately, it took Ardene a long time of choosing destructive tendencies to realize this. His curiosity to find the "edge" of what he could get away with in unproductive and off-centering paths of distraction led him astray, like Pinocchio in his fumblings to becoming a "Real Boy." Luckily, and by Grace, he finally found a new substance he could find a true sense of security and safety with, and that was the Spirit of God's Wisdom. A foundation from a higher Power was what brought Ardene above his delusion and destructive patterns and finally gave him the direction he needed to be guided by intuition instead of ego, so as to avoid complete disaster of the soul. Thankfully, he has that in his rearview mirror now, and he hopes his newfound clear view will help others gather their own reflection back to a path of personal revelation into wellness and wholeness.
Ardene never takes himself too seriously and is able to laugh alongside the ridiculousness of life and its badly kept secrets. He strives authentically for the furtherance of a secret mission we all know... that being... doing the Great Work of reparation and reconfiguration of the human Heart and Mind. Ardene sees Step One to be a noble and worthy cause to place himself in for service to this collective ideal and eventual successful outcome on a planetary scale. One step at a time...